Improvement in locks for mail-bags



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lR. O. LOWREY, OF SALEM, NEW YORK.

Latem Patent No. 95,816, laad ,october 12, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN LOCKSIOR MAIL-BAGS, cc.`

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of thesame.

To all whom it may concern: p

Be it known that I, R. O. LOWREY, of Salem, in the county of Washington,and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Locks; and I do hereby declare that the following -is a full, clear,and exact description thereof, reference being had to v the accompanyingdrawings, making partof this specification, and to the letters ofreference marked thereon, like letters indicating like partswhereverthey occur.

To enable others skilled in the art to construct and use my invention, Iwill proceed to describe it.

My invention relates to locks, and consists in eonstructing the casewith a guard extending inward from the keyhole, so that the space oropening between the lower end of this guard and the bottoni and ward ofthe lock shall conform exactly to the bit of the key,

line :v-x of iig. l; and

Figure 3 is a'vertical cross-section on the line g/-y of fig. 2.

In constructing my lock, I make a metallic or other suitable case, A,and place therein a bolt, B, consisting of a flame, a', with a shank, orstem, b, projecting.

from its rear side, and entering a supporting guide, c, and alsoprovided with a spiral spring, tl, to hold the bolt B forward,as shownin rigs; 1 and 2.

The frame c of the bolt B has a catch, e, on the front side of its rearcross-piece, shaped' as clearly sl-ibwn iniig.k 2, its front end beingmade slanting, so aste form an acute angle with its upper side, and itsupper side, near its outer end, being made slightly concave, so as toengage with a hook, or stud, C, as shown in said g. 2.

y The front cross-piece f is also made with its front side slanting, soas to'form an acute angle with its upper side, and bassa small notch, g,on its front end, as shown in ig. 1.

. The key-hole basa guard, h, of suitable forni and size, to allow thebarreL and bit of the key to pass through it, and it extends downsuiiciently far, and is so shaped on its under side',l that when the keyyis inserted the space between the under side of this guard and a ward,t', corresponds with the shape of the bit of the key.

The bottom-plateofthe lock is so attached as to allow the `sidesoffjthe'frame to project a short distance below it,'-if desired, asshown in fig. 2, and may be attached by screws or in any other suitablem I ner, and when attached, the bolt B slides between it and shouldersE, attached to the inner sides of the case, as shown clearly in iig. 3.

This bottomplate of the case is provided with an opening suitable forthe insertion of a hook, catch, or other device, O, and also with a pin,j, and ward i, properlyarran ged to receive a key, I).

The'bit of this key is so formed that its front end will be parallelwith the front face of the bolt B, and the bolt B is so arranged thatthe opposite faces of the bolt and bit of the key will come togetherwhen the key is inserted and properly turned for the vpurpose, so thatwhen inI this position, by pulling upon the key, the bolt B will beforced back, and the hook C released.

. The sides of the case of the lock are extended sufciently far above.the top to allow flanges F to be turned over, under which are insertedsprings k, for holding' a card, G, when slid under them, as clearlyshownin figs. 2 and 3. These ca rds may have printed upon them the nameof any post otlice, one -cn each side.

It is obvious, that instead of having a hook lor stud, O, a staple, H,may be used, as clearly shown in iig. 3.

Alock thus constructed can be readily and convenientlyY attached tomail-bags, whether the mouth ot' the bag be fastened by studs or staplesprojecting through from one side to the other. `When studs are used, itis only necessary to provide their upper end with a hook, as shown.

To attach the lock, it is only necessary to enterthe studor staplethrough the opening in the bottom of the case, and press it against theslanting surface of the catch e, when the bolt will be vforced back.until lthe catch reaches the notch in the stud or passes through thestaple. In either case, it is partially held in place and prevented fromshaking loose by the catch of the stud or the round surface of thestaple fitting into theconcave on its upper side.

To release the lock, it is necessary to insert the key, turn it untilthe face of the bit is parallel with the face of the bolt, then pullupon it until the bolt is forced back suiiiciently far to freethe catchand to allow the front end of the bit to enter and rest against thenotch g in the front end ofthe bolt. When this is dcne,.the bolt 'willbe held back, and the lock can be removed.

After the lock is attached to the bag, the card, or metallic plate G,with, the address upon it, is inserted under the springs k ,'nd as thesecards, or plates are removable, it is obvious that they can always bechanged as desired.

It is obvious that my lock may be conveniently use:l

in most places where a detachable lock is desired, and 2. The bolt B,consisting or the frame a, stem d, while it is specially useful formail-bags and similar catch e, and cross-piece f, when constructed andarpurposes, it may be used when there is a suitable proranged to beoperated substantially as and for the purjecting stud or staple. poseset forth.

Having thus described my invention, R. O. LOWREY. What I claim, is l. Alock, having its-case A provided with a guard, Witnesses: h, extendingfrom the entire edge of the key-hole in- J. MCKENNE Y, wardly, andrigidly attached thereto, all constructed H. B. MUNN. and arrangedsubstantially as herein described.

